State-of-the-Art Facility is First of its Kind in the District
(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams, city officials, tennis professionals and corporate leaders joined the community in the grand opening celebration of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, a project of the Department of Parks and Recreation, on Saturday, April 21, 200l, from 10 am to 1 pm. The Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, located at 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE, is the first tennis and technology-focused recreation center in the District of Columbia.
The combination tennis and learning complex boasts six outdoor and four indoor tennis courts, a computer room, classrooms, a multi-media room, a fitness room, a community room, locker rooms, a tennis pro shop, and a playground.
The grand opening festivities included a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Acting Parks and Recreation Director Neil Albert, Cora Masters Barry, CEO of the Recreation Wish List Committee, and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, who will conduct free tennis clinics along with former tennis pros Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver.
"At my Youth Summit, our young people told me they wanted places to go after school — places where they were safe and amongst their peers. Today, we're delivering for the District's youth," commented Mayor Williams. "With its athletic and educational facilities, this state-of-the-art recreation center will provide our youth with positive activities that encourage them to grow as athletes, scholars and people."
The $5.1 million public facility is the product of a community's commitment to the development of tennis in southeast DC and the creative partnership of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the nonprofit Recreation Wish List Committee.
"This joint venture underscores the value of creative partnerships to expand opportunities for District residents," says Neil Albert, acting director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. "We are pleased to help provide our young people, particularly East of the River, with a state-of-the-art recreation center that also provides educational learning opportunities that can lead them to a brighter future."
A public tour of the facility followed the ceremony. For more information on the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, call the Department of Parks and Recreation at (202) 673-7662.